Invention: Non-explosive hydrogen storage

时间：2019-03-02 02:19:02166网络整理admin

By Justin Mullins Non-explosive hydrogen storage Many energy researchers believe that hydrogen is the fuel of choice to replace fossil fuels for cars and other vehicles in the coming decades. Storing hydrogen gas safely, though, is a problem. One promising approach is to chemically combine it with another element to form a solid which can later be broken down again. This can store a very high density of hydrogen in a relatively small volume. However, the hydrogen’s release has to be carefully controlled when the compound is broken down or an explosion could occur. Now Zhigang Fak, a chemist at the University of Utah, and colleagues say they have found a way to control the release of hydrogen by these breakdown reactions. They store hydrogen by reacting it with lithium to form lithium hydride and lithium hydroxide, and can later controllably release the gas using various catalysts such as platinum. The team says the technique could offer a safe, cost-effective and reversible way of storing hydrogen in future. Read the full hydrogen storage patent application The preservatives commonly used on wooden housing and fencing materials often contain copper-based preservatives, as well as a biocide to control copper-tolerant fungi. But the preservatives pose an environmental risk as they can easily leach into the ground, contaminating water supplies and aquatic ecosystems with copper. As a result, many communities have already banned copper-based preservatives, or are in the process of doing so. Now Tor Schultz and colleagues at the Department of Forest Products at Mississippi State University, Starkville, US, have come up with a solution in the form of a non-leaching preservative based on natural resin from coniferous trees such as pines, to be teamed up with a fungus-beating organic biocide. Schultz says the preservative can be easily sprayed or painted onto wood and his tests show that it effectively protects wood against the ravages of fungi and termites. Read the full organic wood preservative patent application. Printable fuel cell electrodes Methanol fuel cells that turn fuel and an oxidant directly into electricity without combustion have great potential as power sources for the next-generation of portable devices. They potentially offer more power from less space compared to today’s batteries, and at reasonable cost. However, there are still wrinkles to iron out in the manufacturing process. The most cost-effective way to make the fuel cells would be to use silicon-based microfabrication, so they are manufactured in the same way as other electronic components. However, the electrodes have to be coated with platinum to catalyse the fuel cell’s reactions, and a way of doing that using established processes has proved elusive – until now. Yushan Yan, a chemical engineer at the University of California, Riverside, US, starts with silver nanowires and uses them as moulds on which to grow platinum nanotubes. Adding platinum salts to silver nanowires leads to platinum shells forming over them, and the wires eventually dissolving. The resulting nanotubes offer great efficiency and durability. They can also be sprayed into place using an inkjet printing process, which is compatible with current microfabrication techniques and therefore low cost. Read the full platinum nanotube electrode patent application. Shape-shifting dishwasher, Long-life solar cells, Heartbeat radar, Nanotube X-ray enhancer, 3D tissue printer, Expressive pen, Aerodynamic “bellyflaps”,